Autologous fat has been used as a filler material to correct soft tissue defects of various sizes for over 100 years. It was first introduced by Neuber to the German Surgical Society in 1893 and used for purposes of soft tissue augmentation in 1911. The advent of liposuction techniques in the 1980's simplified harvest and led to widespread clinical utility. Its applications range from reconstructive treatments such as augmentation of paralyzed vocal cords, repair of spinal dura and facial reconstructions in HIV patients, to cosmetic enhancements, such as breast augmentation and hand/face rejuvenation. Compared with collagen, hyaluronic acid, silicone and other filler materials on the market, autologous fat grafts offer the advantages of low cost, availability in most patients, no immunogenicity, allergenicity, or potential for transmitting infectious diseases. However, because of the unpredictable behavior of the graft, clinicians are faced with uncertainty concerning the ultimate volume maintenance of the graft at its recipient site. Transplanted adipose tissue can quickly be resorbed and replaced by fibrous tissue and cysts. Necrosis of the graft as a result of poor vascularization is also another limiting factor. To date long-term graft retention has been highly variable, varying from disappointing to lasting many years, making it difficult to predict outcome. These issues have limited the widespread adoption of autologous fat as the ideal soft tissue filler. It is now widely accepted that the adequacy of graft perfusion is considered key to its fate after transplantation.
Over 50,000 autologous fat grafting procedures were performed in 2010, with a total predicted revenue approaching 98 million dollars. Thus, improving the predictability and long-term survival of autologous fat grafts would have an enormous clinical impact in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery. The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.